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June 28, 2022
Andrew Liptak's Playlist for His Book "Cosplay: A History"
In the Book Notes series, authors create and discuss a music playlist that relates in some way to their recently published book.
Previous contributors include Jesmyn Ward, Lauren Groff, Bret Easton Ellis, Celeste Ng, T.C. Boyle, Dana Spiotta, Amy Bloom, Aimee Bender, Roxane Gay, and many others.
Andrew Liptak's Cosplay: A History is a thoroughly researched and deeply personal exploration of cosplay and its community.
Publishers Weekly wrote of the book:
"Enriched by amusing tales of his own fandom, Liptak’s narrative also explores the dynamics between owners of intellectual property and the makers of costumes based upon it, a relationship that’s sometimes mutually beneficial...Liptak’s study is an inspiring one, underscored by the community’s efforts to spread 'magical moment[s]' with organizations such as the Make-a-Wish foundation. Cosplayers and curious minds alike will enjoy this intriguing dive into an eccentric world."
In his own words, here is Andrew Liptak's Book Notes music playlist for his book Cosplay: A History:
For years — before I ever put pen to paper on Cosplay: A History — I’ve had something of an informal soundtrack that I’d play in the background while working on a costume in my basement workshop, while driving to an event, and while working and researching the book.
Part of that, I think, comes from the nature of cosplay: it’s a form of fandom that’s closely linked to the music that accompanies the films, tv shows, and games that we’re often replicating. We idolize our favorites characters and the stories they come from, and having something like a personal soundtrack playing in the background as we imagine ourselves as those creations comes with the territory.
Those songs often set the tone for what we’re working on, helping to convey the scene and mood as we imagine ourselves immersed in those fictional worlds. As I approached writing about the history of cosplay, I amassed a days-long playlist that accompanied my work, much of it conveying the feeling of movement, songs that I might listen to that would help propel me through a con, songs that might make me, a deeply un-cool person, feel cool. In many ways, they’re songs that helped to bring a new dimension to the book I wrote: a vivid sense of color and motion and joy that I often think about while walking through crowds of fans and cosplayers.
“Feel It Still” by Portugal. The Man
Over the years, I’ve covered cosplay in a variety of forms: one of my favorite ways that I’ve seen some of these fantastic costumes showcased are through cosplay music videos: cosplayers posing for a filmmaker, who compiles their footage into a snappy, 3-4 minute-long video set to some upbeat music. I’ve always felt that these videos capture the energy and excitement that comes with cons, and I’ll admit, I’ve thought about what songs I’d use if I had the skills and wherewithal to do one of these myself.
At the top of the list? Portugal. The Man’s “Feel it Still”, (used by the YouTube channel Sneaky Zebra) which opens with a great bassline that signals movement, the determined walks and poses that cosplayers affect when they fully get into character. It’s the perfect song to imagine walking through the crowded halls of a convention, taking in all of the fantastic costumes that surround you.
“Going Home” by Kirby Krackle
This is a song that I’d throw onto a playlist when I’d pack up my own car with armor and luggage to attend a con: it’s the perfect blend of nerdy delight and earnest nostalgia for what conventions mean to so many fans: a way to see the friends that they might not otherwise see in their everyday lives.
Kirkby Krackle is a band that’s leaned fully into its identity as nerd rockers (they draw their name from an artistic technique from comic artist Jack Kirby), and I’ve enjoyed their catalog of comics/game/movie-inspired music. Another one that I’ll throw in here from them is “On and On” from the same album (E For Everyone) which isn’t strictly cosplay-related, but it’s a fun, driving song about the idea of heroes sticking with their heroic roles over and over, with no end in sight — which is sometimes what the con / cosplay scene can feel like: an endless grind if you’re doing it for a living.
“Extra-Ordinary” by Lost Leaders
Quite a bit of what goes into cosplay relates in some way to how we see ourselves in the world. Lost Leaders’ “Extra-Ordinary” isn’t explicitly tied to the idea of superheroes or people with extraordinary powers, but it is playing with the line between someone straddling the line of being ordinary and blending in with the crowd, and wanting to stand out.
In my time as a cosplayer, these are themes that really resonate. Dressing up as a superhero or character from an existing story by design means that you’ll stand out in a crowd. It’s always an interesting moment when you peel a costume off in the changing room and jump back into the real world after taking part in an event, and going right back to blending into the crowd.
“Electric” by Katy Perry
I have a fondness for songs that tie in with some sort of nerd thing, whether it’s part of a soundtrack, a song that’s got some sort of science fictional connection in its music video, or something like that. Katy Perry’s “Electric” was part of the Pokémon 25 album for the franchise’s anniversary and I really thought the video was cute. But it’s also one of those high-energy songs that I’ll throw on while working in my workshop, or while writing about some of this cosplay stuff, because it reminds me of the enthusiasm and excitement that comes with the hobby.
“Invincible” by Kelly Clarkson
Speaking of enthusiasm and excitement, Kelly Clarkson’s “Invincible” is one of those really empowering songs that I feel fits neatly with some of the power that cosplay can bring to the world. Here’s an example of this: a bunch of years ago, a young girl named Katie went to school in Chicago with a Star Wars shirt, and came home in tears because her classmates told her that Star Wars was for boys. There was an entire internet campaign that rallied around her, and members of the 501st Legion (of which I’m a member) went out of their way to make her own set of armor for her to wear.
And, over the course of writing the book and since, I’ve spoken with tons of people who’ve found wearing costumes of their favorite characters as one of empowerment: something that makes them confident in themselves, even when they might be faltering a bit.
“CAN’T STOP THE FEELING!” by Justin Timberlake / “Happy” by Pharrell Williams / “Once In a While” by Timeflies
While I’m on the enthusiasm and excitement beat, I’ll throw in Justin Timberlake’s “CAN’T STOP THE FEELING!”, “Once In a While” by Timeflies, and Pharrell William’s “Happy,” all three of which have a great beat that exude joy. It’s how I’d like to imagine a background soundtrack if a camera followed a cosplayer walking through a con. They’re upbeat and fun, and feel like they’re all good descriptions of the feel that I have while seeing my favorite characters in the flesh.
“Pure Imagination” by Ghostwriter Music (Bryan Nguyen feat. Merethe Soltvedt)
I’ve long loved “Pure Imagination” as sung by Gene Wilder in the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. It’s the absolute perfect song to describe cosplay: pure imagination, brought to life by fans who make their own costumes. There’s been no end to the covers of the song, and a couple of years ago, a version by Bryan Nguyen feat. Merethe Soltvedt appeared in the trailer for Steven Spielberg's adaptation of Ready Player One, and I really loved that take on it: it's epic and cinematic where Wilder’s version is personal.
Another excellent rendition is Kathleen’s “Pure Imagination”, which is a beautiful rendition that’s full of movement.
“The Saga Begins” by Weird “Al” Yankovic
There’s no way I can put together a list like this without including something from Weird Al’s back catalog. Yankovic is renowned for his spectacular live shows and music videos where he uses tons of outlandish and fantastic costumes. “The Saga Begins” is a love letter to fandom and one of my favorite songs from him—ever. He wrote the entire song prior to the release of The Phantom Menace based on internet rumors, and it’s a dead-on summary of what the film ended up being.
Nerdiness aside, there’s a big reason for including this one: for years, Weird Al would invite members of the 501st Legion to take part in those fantastic live shows: when the time came for this song, he’d be backed by Darth Vader and a whole bunch of Imperial Stormtroopers as backup dancers. I’ve done that a handful of times when he’s come through my part of the country, and every experience was a fantastic one. Listening to the song while I write this, I can still remember all of the moves that we were trained up on in the hours prior to each concert.
“It’s My Turn To Fly” by The Urge
One of my favorite movies of all time is the 2000 animated film Titan A.E.. It’s one of those cult classics that I’ve often felt should get a lot more attention because of the rosy nostalgia I feel for it, but also because it has one of those soundtracks that’s a grabbag of styles: all alt/pop/electronic/reggae/rock that helped provide the background to countless road trips and late nights over the years.
My favorite track from the album is “It’s My Turn To Fly” by The Urge, which accompanies a neat moment in the film when the action takes a pause and we go sweeping through space. The song’s all about proving one’s self, which feels like an apt thing when it comes to the world of cosplay: we costumers put our talent, creativity, and inspiration on our literal sleeves.
“Play It Again” by Pigeon John
Pigeon John’s “Play It Again” is another one of those tracks that I discovered through Sneaky Zebra’s music videos, and like “Feel It Still”, it one of those tracks the exudes movement. It’s fast and upbeat right from the first bars, and it’s a track that always reminds me of the thrill and excitement that I feel walking through a convention floor and taking in all of the fantastic costumes on display.
“World of Make Believe” by Roadside Attraction
Years ago, there was a documentary that came out about the 501st Legion, “Heart of an Empire,” which was a good, early overview of the history of the organization. One of the songs that the filmmakers used in the project’s original trailer stuck out in my head at the time, “World of Make Believe” by Roadside Attraction.
It’s an apt description of what we as cosplayers do: we’re “living in a world of make believe.” There’s an escapist element to that, but there’s also an element of wish fulfillment to it: we’re bringing what was once imaginary into reality. That’s no small feat, and an incredibly powerful thing to accomplish. It helps make those ethereal things that attract us to stories tangible.
“Imperial March” by John Williams
There’s no way that I could put together a list like this and not include something from John Williams’ incredible catalog of Star Wars music, and my massive playlist of Star Wars soundtracks was constantly in the background as I wrote this book. Of all the songs that he’s written, I don’t know that there’s anything that fits with this book more than Darth Vader’s iconic theme, “Imperial March”.
I’ve spent a lot of time talking about movement, and this is something that I’ve listened to on countless parades dressed as a stormtrooper: it’s, well, a march! It’s an anthem that’s all about power and might, and it drives along at a relentless pace, and perfectly telegraphs the menace and fear that the Galactic Empire instilled in its subjects and puts me right into the world whenever I hear it when I’m in armor.
Andrew Liptak is a writer and historian based in Vermont. He graduated from Norwich University with a master's degree in military history and writes about history, technology, and science fiction in his newsletter Transfer Orbit. His work has appeared in Armchair General Magazine, Clarkesworld Magazine, Gizmodo, io9, Slate, The Verge, and other publications. He coedited the anthology War Stories: New Military Science Fiction, and his short fiction has appeared in Galaxy's Edge Magazine and Curious Fictions.
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